The academy
by hogwaffle
Summary: My take on what happened to River in the School experiment area before Simon was able to rescue her. Also include Simons adventures figuring out how to save her. Finished
1. Chapter 1

"You're sure about this?" My mother asked for what felt like the hundredth time, I pulled her into a tight hug.

"Yes mother, it's a good school. The best in the verse."

"So far from home though," mom sniffed, pulling away and wiping her nose with a hanky, as she pushed a piece of hair behind my ear. "My little girl."

"Mom," I rolled my eyes. "I'm not so little anymore."

"You'll always be little to me."

"You'll always been a brat to me," Simon added as he set my trunks down on the platform, wiping his forehead from the exertion.

"Bee-jway," I punched him in the arm, he grasped it mocking pain. "You're off being a big doctor in Capitol City anyway, couldn't be bothered at home anymore."

"As good as any a reason to leave?" He grinned, hugging me tightly. "Be safe, mei mei." I nodded into his chest, knowing I would miss his support.

"Show up all the other wanna be doctors for me?" I asked with a grin, holding back tears.

"Only if you're head of the class at this gifted school of yours," he promised with a nod.

"Like our little girl could be anything less," my father, wrapped his arms around my mother, smiling down at me. "Not everyone gets into a government funded school, only the best, and River's the best of the best. Aren't you dear?"

"Sure," I nodded. Inside I wondered if that was true. I was smart, head of my class, but the other kids at this school had probably been head of their class too.

"You will be," Father added as if he could read my mind. He stepped up to hug me as the first faint whistle of the train could be heard. Mother stepped up next, holding me just as tightly as before. Then Simon, my older brother, my rock, he held me at arms length for a moment, taking me in as I took in him. It could be years before we would meet again at this station, the school was across the verse. When I could stand it no longer I pulled him to me, hugging tightly.

"Write me?" He asked.

"Everyday," I nodded, wiping away tears as I hugged mother again, then father. The whistles were growing louder, cracking the fragile stillness of the day, the sun shining down, as people hurried past us to catch their own trains, have their own tearful goodbyes. Mother and Father backed away as I stepped closer to the edge, Simon next to me, hands in his pockets, foot dragging a line in the dust of the platform.

"Excited?" He asked over the loud whistle, I could see the train now.

"Scared," I admitted.

"You should be," he nodded. "I'll be lost without you, mei mei. I have to go."

"Simon wait," He was backing up. "Wait for the train."

"Can't, I have to meet the train."

"What?" I frowned, confused. "What train," I yelled the sound of the train deafening.

"Your train. Love you, mei mei." He stepped backward off the platform; the train didn't slow down, just rushed over him, the noise unbearable.

"Simon!" I screamed, falling to my knees, tears streaming down my face. People pushed past me, climbing onto the train, laughing, waving goodbye to friends. I couldn't move, couldn't breath, just kept screaming.

I woke up screaming, always wake up screaming. Ever since I got here, nightmares every night. I always wake up screaming.

"River?" Nevva was on my bed, pulling me up to sit, hugging me tightly. "It's just another dream River, shhh, just a dream." I clung to her letting her rocking motion bring be back from the dream. Back to reality, or what passed for reality here.

"Nevva," I cried her name.

"Shh, was it Simon again," she whispered. I nodded.

"He never writes back. I write him and he never writes back. I write, the codes, he knows, but he never writes back." I know I make little sense to Nevva. I know. I try to bring sense back into my sentence structure. I laugh a little and I am sure that doesn't make her feel better about my sanity. Sense in my sentences? I would have to have sense in my thoughts first. Not fractured thoughts of broken dreams, and this strange school. Why does Nevva still make so much sense?

"You okay?" She asked, pulling back a bit.

"Yes," I nod, wiping away the last tears. I am okay. For now. "Sorry, Nevva."

"It's okay," she smiles. "We all have bad dreams." We do all of us, thirty-two girls in this dorm. Five in this room. All of us have nightmares. None of us get letters from home anymore.

"Lights on, Thursday, seven-thirty am," the lights come on with the announcement. Around us the other girls are starting to get out of bed as the announcement repeats in Chinese, none of them look at us. They've been here longer, they never talk to us. They rarely wake up screaming.

"Come on, you'll feel better with breakfast," Nevva pulls me off the bed, leading me to the dresser, and pulling out clothes for me like I'm a child.

"I can dress myself," I snap, I know it comes out a little sharp, but Nevva just nods and turns to dress herself.

We file down the hallway in a line, Nevva in front of me, both of us following the other three. Breakfast is always quiet. Thirty-two girls and forty boys file into the cafeteria we share. We line up, and choose from cereal, and fruit, and eggs, sometimes we have bacon, sometimes bagels. They feed us well here at least. I eat quietly and quickly, then sit watching as everyone else finishes. We sit with the other girls from our room; we are assigned to the same table, Beth, Gia, and Lee. They never talk to us. Actually no one ever talks to us anymore, except Tommy and Thein. Twins, they two guys who entered this program when we did. Everyone else has been here longer, no one talks anymore. Some of them used to talk to me, but now, now they just focus on the work, but none of them even seem to care if they are doing well anymore.

First class is physics. Advanced physics, all the classes here are advanced. It used to be fun, people used to be excited about class, used to compete for the best score. I sometimes wonder how long it will be till I stop talking. This day is like the past ones, at least like the last one hundred and fifteen days. The last class today is history, the only class Nevva and I sit next to each other in. It passes slowly, quiet except for the teachers drone, until something different happens, something I wasn't expecting.

"This is all crap!" Khia Thompson stands toppling her desk. "You act like any of what you're teaching us matters, like our grades are even being recorded. Their not. All of you," she turned to the class then. I watched taken up in her rant. "All of you, this is hell, you are in hell. They are playing God with our brains. The tests the dreams it's all part of their own manufactured hell." Nevva and I exchanged looks. So it wasn't just our dorm that had the dreams. "Talk, god damn you all I know its hard, but talk to each other."

The door slammed open, security streamed in towards Khia; she deftly twisted around and past the two big men. Talking all the while. "Together you can get out, I swear just talk, tell each other what they're doing to you, it's not right," she moved to dodge one of the guards, but the other caught her off guard. "Stay together!" She yelled as they dragged her thrashing towards the door, she clung to the door frame focusing all her energy on clinging to it. Quickly one of the guards pulled out a gun, jamming it into her neck he pulled the trigger, there was a soft hum, and he body spasmed, then hung lifeless. They pulled her out; the teacher shut the door, and began to lecture again.

"Is she dead?" I cried.

"River," Nevva held up a hand, but I pushed it away, standing and looking around. Everyone else was focused on their work.

"They just shot her, and none of you are going to react?" I was yelling, I shouldn't yell.

"River!" Nevva stood, pulling me hard so I was looking at her. "This wont do anything, you need to calm down and shut up unless you want to end up like Khia." She whispered it quickly, and I realized that was true, but for a moment I didn't care, then I glanced to the back of the room, and caught the look of Lee, she held my eye contact, and gave a short nod. I sat back down, and began taking notes as the teacher restarted the lecture.


	2. Chapter 2

I always forget to put that I don't own these characters, in case you people thought maybe I did. Which I don't. Joss does. Joss is Boss

One hour after classes. That's my free time. If free is still free with guards all around. More today then ever. Khia has them thrown. Its sunny out, that's a nice change, the weather here is usually rain. Nevva has already been taken to session, mine will come later, for now I have silence, grass, and sun and five armed guards twenty feet away.

I remember when this school seemed like paradise. The first week, when I was still excited, before they started the sessions. Up until the first session here I am happy. It didn't strike me as odd that none of us knew his name, not that first time, he was just the interviewer. A nice looking man who could be my fathers age. He asked about school, he asked about my family. I shut my eyes thinking back.

"Are you settling in well?" The interviewer asked.

"Yes, Nevva is nice, the other girls don't talk to us much, but they aren't mean." I meant it, the other girls welcomed us, but didn't have much to say. They were already friends.

"And your family?"

"I miss them, I wrote them already, but I haven't heard back. My brother and I are close, I assume I'll hear from him even before my parents." I laughed a little.

"You're already top in your class, do you realize that?"

"The teachers told me, they said this is a very competitive place, and the rankings are listed every Friday. They showed me I was in the top place."

"And you like school?" He asked, looking up from his notes.

"I do. It's...Sometimes things move a little slowly for me." I answered truthfully. This school was harder then mine at home had been, but I still wasn't finding most of it difficult, even though many of the other students were older than me.

"I imagine they do. What's your favorite subject?"

"I'm finding physics a challenge." Mildly challenging.

"You're in the graduate program already?" He tried to sound surprised but I could tell he already knew.

"They call me 'Little Mouse'." I smiled. Volger had come up with the name. He was a couple years older, and very handsome.

"Do you think they're," he paused, choosing his words, "jealous, because you're so young?"

"Volger is, a little. He plans to become very important." A part of parliment.

"Did he...tell you he was jealous?"

"Oh, no! I just…." He interrupted.

"You feel it." He was watching me closely. I thought for a moment before answering, trying to choose my words carefully as Simon would tell me to.

"People tell you things all the time, without talking. The way they move, the way they aren't talking."

"You're very intuitive." He wrote that down.

I opened my eyes, intuitive. That word sealed my fate here. I was intuitive. Ever since I was little I had a feeling for people, for what they were thinking, how they felt. Simon used to quiz me with cards, seeing how many times I could figure out what shape was on a card without looking. I was right more than I should have been. That's how I ended up here. And it was getting worse.

I looked over at the security men as I sat up. I knew they were watching me with fear and arousal. I knew they were dangerous. I knew that one of them had spent two years in jail for assault. I had never spoken a word to them. But just by looking at them I knew it. I intuited it. Being at this school had made me wish I had never been intuitive. At the same time I wished I was as intuitive before I came as I am now. I might not have come if I had known everything that was going to happen.

Nevva strolled toward me from building C, where they did the experiments. She was hugging herself, I frowned, realizing my hour must be nearly up.

"It's worse," Nevva spoke quietly as she knelt next to me. "They say Khia had an imbalance. They, they do different tests today, trying to regulate the balance of the brain." Nevva shivered, wiping a small dot of blood from her forehead. I watched her carefully; they had never gotten to Nevva like this. She remained calm through all of it, I don't think she was quite the test subject they were looking for, not intuitive enough.

"It's going to be okay Nevva," I patted her arm, not used to being the one who did the comforting. She nodded, not looking at me. I felt the guard coming, the one who had been to jail. I knew it was time for my session. I stood before he reached me; I hated leaving Nevva like this but didn't even want to think about the consequences for missing a session.

The guard walked behind me silently. He wasn't really a part of this, just hired muscle to escort a bunch of scared kids from here to there. He felt important, but truth was he had no mission. He opened the door to the research building, shoving me inside, and standing guard. I knew where to go from here, the hallway only had one open door at the end, opening into a drab white room. I stepped inside, immediately missing Simon, the medical feel of this room always made me miss him. I sat in the folding metal chair at the table, right where I always sat.

"Good afternoon, River," the doctors cheery voice came through the loudspeakers in the room. I nodded, keeping my head down as three attendants filed into the room. Two women and a man, one woman sat across from me, opening a folder as the other two began hooking me up. Pads on my forehead to monitor the electrical impulses from by brain, needle up in my hand, measuring the chemicals rushing through my veins. It didn't even hurt when the man shoved it in anymore. I don't think he's become gentler I think I'm just loosing feeling. A clip on the finger, more pads on my chest, all to tell them who the hell knows what.

"River," the woman smiles across from me. "You are a prime example of what we look for here."

"Thank you," I nodded, head still down.

"We'll start with the basics," she held up a card. "What number is on the back of the card?" I didn't even look up, I didn't have to anymore.

"Five," I answered after a few seconds.

"Good. And this?"

"Twenty-two."

"This?"

"Nine."

"And this."

"Four hundred thirty-two point seven." I hardly hesitated anymore, I was past intuiting. I knew.

"Very good," she nodded. "Moving on then." She pulled out their latest test. It was a board with twenty buttons with a rat in a cage in the middle. Fifteen of the buttons would electrocute the rat. Each time I hit a wrong button they simply removed the dead rat and replaced it with a live one. I had to pick all five correct buttons before the test was over.

I bit my lip, fighting back tears. I had killed at least one rat every day for the last three weeks, as many as six the first day. Each button was exactly the same, nothing to distinguish one from the other, twenty buttons fifteen deadly. Me playing God on the academy's behalf.

"River, please begin," the lady spoke curtly motioning to the board in front of me. I wondered for a moment what they would do if I refused, but the image of Khia came back to me and I knew it wasn't a choice. I reached out tentatively, hand floating over the choices, I focused, this didn't come as easy to me as the cards. I hovered for a moment over one button, and pressed it.

The rat continued bathing itself. I let out the breath I was holding, four to go. I reached out for the button three to the left of the one I had just pushed. I pressed it quickly, still no change in the rat. I hardly thought about it, chose two more buttons and pressed them quickly. The rat was still alive. Last button, I shut my eyes, hand floating over the board, then pressing one. I opened my eye, the rat stared curiously back at me. I smiled for the first time in days.

"River Tam, you are very gifted," the woman breathed gently, a huge smile on her face that made mine fade. The man quickly came and whisked away the board. "The doctor will see you now."

I had never actually met the doctor before, he would welcome me to the room, and I assumed observed, but never was present. The woman stood and I followed her out of the room, through the door the attendants entered through and into an inner room. The woman flicked a switch by the door and the room was filled with bluish light. I stared around with awe and fear, the room was round with computer screens all around, each displaying a scrolling banner saying 'Pyxis'. This all awed me, what scared me, terrified me, was the chair in the middle of the room, it looked almost like a dentists chair, aside from the screens attached to each arm.

"River Tam," the doctor stepped in through a panel of the wall that slide back into place before I caught a glimpse of the room behind him. "Wonderful to meet you."

"Thank you," I nodded.

"If you could just have a seat," he motioned to the chair. I shook my head.

"No, please," I felt tear's coming, the chair was screaming at me, I could smell blood.

"River, don't be silly, I just need you to sit down so we can do some tests." Two of the attendants took me by the arms pulling me toward the chair.

"No," I whimpered, twisting, trying to pull away from them. The third one, the man, started pushing me from behind, and as much as I squirmed, they soon had me in the chair. He held me by the shoulders as the women strapped me in. They attached electrodes to the metal plates on my 'uniform' and slid something over my head, think wire arms resting on my cheeks and in my hair. The doctor stepped forward.

"My name is Dr. Mathias."

"Please," I spoke through tears as he filled a needle from a vial of clear fluid.

"What?" He asked.

"I want to go home," I whispered.

"Oh River," he placed a hand on my forearm. "You are too important to the project. Parliament has invested great sums of money into Pyxis. We're doing fine works." Smoothly he slid the needle in, pushing the fluid into my vein, and slowly, the world faded to black.


	3. Chapter 3

This is where time starts to truly fracture. When my world falls apart, when I stop living and start surviving.

The worlds too bright here, too quiet. I feel too alone walking through the white promenade area. But I can hear people. There's no one to be seen in the whole place, but I hear laughing, and music, and people passing me. I'm knocked backward by someone, and hear a faint apology.

Around me the world seems to spin, to twist and jive at odd angles, in slow motion, but too fast to see. I trip stumbling forward without really falling, I glance back and scream, A body lays face down on the sidewalk, bloated, eyes wide open staring at me, staring through me. I turn, heaving, but nothing comes up. There are people on the stairs all dead.

I glance back at the man I fell over, he grins at me now, and slowly I recognize Simon. Kneeling next to him I see myself, I'm younger, wearing my favorite dress.

"We're in trouble," I watch as I shake Simon, his lifeless body moving sickeningly. "We're cut off."

"It's the Pax," my younger self whispered up at me, before rocking Simon once again.

"They got lost. We're gonna have to eat the men. Simon!" I can see myself crying now, and unconsciously wipe my own face, not surprised to be crying along with the younger me. She stops shaking Simon finally, looking forlorn. "This whole   
conclusion is fallacious."

I can't handle the familiar conversation any longer, I turn my back on myself and Simon, crying as I rush away, not sure where I am going, just filled with the need to leave. I can hear Dr. Mathias now.

"We're doing such good work."

"She's testing well?" I don't recognize the voice, deep, frightening.

"Above all the rest, the first to pass all the tests." Dr. Mathias is gloating.

"Pyxis shall continue then. But we expect more results. More subjects. Dong ma?"

"Of course."

I hear whimpering at it takes me a moment to realize its coming from mea s the world starts to swim into focus. I see Dr. Mathias ushering men and women out of the room, I don't know them, but I do. They're parliament, and I am very important to them.

"I'll send the records along later once we transfer them," Dr. Mathias explained as he ushered them. I watched groggily, becoming increasingly aware of a sharp pain in my forehead. I tried to lift a hand to my head, forgetting for a moment that my arms were secured. The door shut and Dr. Mathias came back to my side.

"Careful little one," he carefully slides something out of my head, it stings, but other then that is painless. "You are quite precious to us now."

"Please, I want to do home." The ache is growing now that he has removed what seems to be a long metal spike from my forehead, I feel tears welling in my eyes.

"You are home," he smiles trying to seem reassuring as he undoes my wrists. I wipe a hand across my forehead, it comes back bloody. "Here," he hands me two pills and a glass of water. "The pain will subside." He doesn't want me in pain. I will bring him too much wealth. I frown taking the pills, and wondering what this all means.

"How am I precious?" I ask after swallowing the pills.

"In the way every good citizen hopes to be. You are of great use to parliament, and to the people, though they might not know it."

"What's the Pax?" I ask.

"Shuh muh?" He frowns at me. "I have no idea."

"Peace," I mumble to myself, then look back at him. "In the latin."

"You are a very bright child," he smiles. "Pax for all of us then, the alliance can assure it."

"Assure it," I nod, feeling more off then I did before this meeting.

"You can go to the interviewer now," I nod, stumbling out of the room, pointed in the right direction by the attendants. I rub my head again, the bleeding seems to have stopped, though there is a noticeable hole in my forehead.

"Peace," I mumble.

"River?" Nevva falls into step beside me. "Are you okay, they took you to the chair too? Did you fight? Ask them why?" I shook my head.

"It's not. They don't mean. I mean, the pax, its not. There's no peace for anyone."

"River?" She puts a hand on my arm and I jerk away.

"Don't touch!" She looks hurt, and I reach for her.

"Nevva," it comes out plaintive, and doesn't tell her anything. She hugs me though and I know I've told her everything. She knows I didn't fight them, that it didn't occur to me to ask why.

"We're going to talk to Lee tonight. She's going to tell us what she knows," she whispers into my ear, and I nod.

"Peace," it's the only word I can seem to form right now, it means so much, it's the antonym of the dream, of my time here, of the chaos inside my head. It's a plea, and a fear.

"Peace," she repeats, only to calm me, but I appreciate it. We walk silently to the interview building, sitting side by side as we wait with five other girls for our names to be called.

"River Tam?" The secretary calls my name and I nod, standing. Nevva tugs on my arm. "Tell the interviewer."

Tell him? He's on their side, he doesn't care what they do to us. But my hopes raise, maybe he doesn't know about the experiments, maybe he can stop this, maybe he can send me home.

He doesn't care.

"River we do great work here."

"They, they put this thing, inside my head, and into my brain," I sputter, he smiles grimly.

"But you understand _why_ these treatments are important." He frowns, and I feel my hope draining.

"I don't think...I'm sorry. I think there's been an error. I don't think..." I try to focus, pulling my sentence into some sort of order. "I think I may not be...the right subject for these...for this program," it's a last ditch effort, something to make me feel like I didn't stand idly by.

"It's perfectly natural to feel a little nervous…"

"I just...If it were possible to be transferred, I would make a...I would like to request a transfer." His thin smile fades.

"You want to be back in GenEd?" His tone is that of utter disgust, and I know this is over.

"Please," it's quiet.

"You told us that was no good for you. That it was too slow, that's why you're here." He stares me down. For some reason I can't tell him, can call him out and say I never signed up for this, never wanted to be a lab rat. It's too many words, words that fall too fast through my head.

"Please. It...hurts," I can hear myself giving up. I tune out, what he says is a blur, I answer his questions, but they have no meaning, not until he talks about today.

"The members of parliament were very impressed with you today. Did you know that?" I look up slowly.

"It's the Pax."

"Tell me what you see." For the first time he looks interested.

"You lost the first one. You cut too deep; he died on the table. One of your attendants cried and you comforted her. 'We're doing such good work.'"

"Do you understand that that is true? The work we do here is very important, and you're a part of that." He's doing damage control now, wants me to forget this.

"I would like to see my brother." Please, please let me see Simon, he can figure this all out.

"Well, you can write to him any time you like.." I interrupt him

"I _need to_...I would like please to see him." The tears are coming again.

"Well, I'm...sure he's very busy." This interviews over, I am done with his questions, and he is done with me.

"Yes...Yes, I'm sure." They've forgotten about me.


	4. Chapter 4

I sat quietly in the cafeteria, spooning stew mechanically into my mouth, Simon hadn't written me once. He promised to write every week. Months, and I hadn't heard from him. Suddenly it was all making sense, I had been making excuses for him, telling myself he was busy, he would write soon. But no, he's just forgotten.

I sighed, pushing away the rest of the stew, not hungry anymore. I felt tiny and alone, Volger was right, I was nothing but a little mouse. I had a feeling the trap was snapping shut.

"River!" Someone hissed my name. I frowned, looking up toward the doorway, Nevva waved frantically to me, beckoning me to her. I quickly put away my dishes, and hurried over to her. She didn't wait for me at the door, but waved to me from the stairwell, I followed a bit behind her all the way up to our room.

"Nevva?" I asked, pushing inside.

"Someone clamped a hand over my mouth. And an arm around my neck, cutting off the air, I tried to scream, but nothing came out as I was slowly lowered to the floor. A piece of paper was thrust into my hands. I read it quickly.

"Don't talk." Nevva stepped out in front of me, a finger to her lips. I nodded and the arms let me go. I stood quietly as Lee stepped in front of me, taking the paper and a pulling a pencil from her pocket. She erased the first message and wrote, "the rooms are bugged." I nodded again to show I understood, even though I didn't really feel like I did.

"Was dinner good?" Nevva asked out loud. I glanced at Lee who nodded for me to answer.

"It was good," I nodded.

"Tonight, you and Nevva come with me," Lee wrote, thrusting the paper back at me. I nodded again.

"Are you ready for training?" I asked Nevva.

"Yes, change and we can walk together."

I dug through my dresser pulling out the loose tunic and pants we wore for training, and slipping into them. When I had turned around Lee had left.

Today's hand to hand combat, it's nothing I ever was interested before I came here, but it's become one of the only things I look forward to. It's like dancing, only lethal.

It's also the only 'extracurricular' activity I share with Nevva. We pair up and begin sparing. I quickly fall into the rhythm of it, dropping to the ground as she punches, and sweeping my leg underneath her, and dropping her to the ground. I stand back as she gets up, then push back in taking another swing at her which she dodges; she fakes a punch to the left, and gets in a good kick when I fall for it.

The teacher circles the student pairs slowly, occasionally murmuring tips, or demonstrating a defense. We have all become adept with the hand to hand, some more so than others. I feel the teacher pause next to us, watching as we circle each other, watching for an opening.

"Das Fallen schneller abwärts," it's barely a whisper but I hear him. Blood pounds in my ears, my vision seems to convene on Nevva. I bound forward, clocking her in the face before she knows what's happened; she falls in a pile to the ground. The class is silent, all fighting stopped.

I turn to the nearest person; somewhere in the back of my mind I register it as Volger. I snap kick him in the stomach, but he's ready for it, and grabs my foot holding tight. I try to pull back but he's got a firm hold.

"River," there's no emotion in his voice. I jump, kicking my free leg over the one he's trapped, it tears across his jaw and he lets go, I land on both feet, crouched, ready for whatever's next.

Wahnsinn, der umgekehrt gleitet "," the teacher whispers and Volger's looking at me with death in his eyes. He swings at me, but his aim is wild and I dodge easily, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back until I hear a snap. He cries out and throws his head back into my chin. I taste blood, and letting go of him touch my lip to find it bloody.

Left arm limp at his side, Volger takes another swing, this one catching me off guard and snapping my head to the side, I let the momentum of his punch carry me to the ground, I land on my hands. I snap-kick behind, catching his broken arm, he screams louder this time, clutching his arm. I come up swinging, three quick jabs into his stomach and he's bent over. I grab the back of his head, bringing my knee up into his nose. He knocks me away and reaches for my throat, wrapping his hands around and squeezing. His face is a mess, tears mixing with blood, as he squeezes harder. I reach up and grab his head. A sharp twist and his neck snaps, his body falls limply to the ground.

"Eta Kooram Nah Smech!" The teacher yells, running to Volger and checking for a pulse. I crumble to my knees, exhausted and terrified, hand over my mouth as I watch the teacher. The students stare numbly at me, even Nevva looks terrified, a bruise already forming on her cheek, she shakes herself and comes to me, kneeling next to me and wrapping her arms around me. The other students wander off and begin to spare again.

"Ta ma duh," the teacher swears, taking a walkie-talkie from his belt. "Security to room four recreation building."

"Nevva," I cling to her, "don't let them take me, I don't want to be like Khia. I don't know what I did. How it happened." My voice sounded thick, panicked as I clung to her.

"We have a casualty," the teacher continued.

"On our way." It seemed like seconds later two of the bigger guards strode in; together they lifted Volger and carried him from the room.

"River," I snapped my head up at my name. Dr. Mathias stood there. "You're dismissed; go back to your room."

"But," I sputtered. "Volger, I, oh run-tse duh FWO-tzoo."

"It's taken care of," he replied curtly. "Back to your room." Nevva helped me up, supporting me and leading us to the door.

"You aren't dismissed." The teacher called after Nevva.

"I am staying with my friend," Nevva answered through clenched teeth, turning to give the men looks daring them to contradict her.

"Let her go," Dr. Mathias laid a hand on the teacher, "we have enough to deal with."

The door shut behind us and slowly, Nevva lead the way back to the dorm, stopping halfway to hold my hair as I was sick in the bushes.


	5. Chapter 5

I toss and turn, dreaming things I don't want to dream. Everything's mixing together. To top it all off it's storming outside. I keep waking up to thunder, confused and afraid, not knowing where I am or what's going on.

"Simon," I murmur, falling deeper into sleep again.

I'm back in chemistry class, only its ages ago, before everything became so wrong, when we were all just a bunch of kids in class. Volger's standing next to me, with Nevva on my other side, we're watching a dissection.

"Good looking guy, he is," Lee gives us a small smile from across the table.

"No," I shake my head frowning.

"What's wrong little mouse, can't stomach the real work?" Volger elbows me, smirking down at me when I look up at him. It makes my heart flutter.

"No, I didn't mean. What I meant was it's not chemistry. The fundamental base of this is too far from the subject matter."

"Ai ya little one, so many words," Volger shakes his head.

"It's okay River, he's not really dead," Nevva smiles, look. I look up the table to the man's head and Simon grins at me.

"Simon! What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you," he explains. "You never get my letters so I figured this was the best way to visit. It's only temporary." He waves towards his stomach; the teacher is pulling out his heart. "This I mean, I am with you always mei mei."

"But the hearts an essential organ Simon."

"Nah, I feel fine," but he slurs the last part. "Fine," his eyes roll back in his head, as his head drops to the table.

"Simon!" I shake him.

"Watch the table, girl!" The teacher yells at me.

"Sorry," I back up; still watching worriedly as Simon's head tosses from side to side.

"This is no good," the teacher shakes his head. "Too much movement, Volger!"

"Yes?"

"Get the knife." Volger picks up something that looks more like a sword.

"Got it," Volger holds it over his head. "Now what?"

"Cut off his head."

"No!" I scream.

"River, we need him to lie still," Volger explains looking back at me. His face seems to be rotting now. I glance around the room; everyone's faces seem to be rotting off their skulls. Simons missing an eye and half his jaw is exposed.

"Volger," I murmur, he turned to me, the skin around his eye sagging, the eyelid drooped down so I only see half the eye on that side, his nose has disappeared.

"It's for the pax," he answers, and slams the sword through Simon's throat.

I wake up the scream fading on my lips, and Nevva's hand over my mouth. She puts a finger to her lips and I nod. Outside there's a loud roll of thunder, a flash of lighting momentarily brightens the room and I almost scream seeing the figure at the end of my bed. I realize its Lee and catch myself in time. Lee motions for us to follow her.

I slip out of bed and into my shoes, they are both still in pajamas so I don't change. Not that I would have had time before we slipped out of the room. We followed Lee as she led us through a maze of corridors. The halls were drab, and cold in the daylight, but with thunder rumbling, and lighting occasionally illuminating the way they were creepy, I expected security guards to jump out at us at any moment.

We slipped out a back door, and hurried down a covered walkway to a gazebo, then dashed from there, through the rain to a boathouse at the head of the docks by the lake. Lee pushed in a loose board and we slipped inside. Candles were lit around the small room, and two guys sat waiting, they stood quickly when we entered.

"Lee!" The bigger of them hissed. "Who the hell are these two?"

"I know her," the other guy was backing away. "She killed a kid in my training class today." I felt like I was suffocating, as the other guy took a step back too.

"It wasn't her fault," Lee answered. "They both are ready to do something about all the gos se that goes on around here." We are? I felt the panic rising again. What had Nevva told Lee? I glanced at Nevva, but she was nodding at the guys.

"So how isn't beating a kid to death her fault?" The littler guy asked.

"Well Tarrin, if you read this, you may get the idea," she tossed a folder at the little guy.

"What's up, Lee?" The bigger guy asked, glancing at the file. "And who exactly are these too?"

"Nevva, and River's the little one. This is Tarrin and Gunner," she nodded at each of us as she spoke our names. "The documents there contain files on triggers."

"Exciting," Gunner rolled his eyes.

"Trigger's they have been installing in all of us since the day we got here," Lee added, glaring at Gunner. "Triggers to unleash us in whatever way they want. Like River today."

"Oh god," I covered my mouth. "It really wasn't my fault."

"Not at all," Lee shook her head.

"So what's this little resistance group?" Nevva asked.

"Khia started it, she told me things weren't right, and that we could do something if we all banded together. It was the four of us, up until today."

"She was the one who got the files on each of us, figured out what talents they thought we could specialize in," Tarrin added. "Each of us is being groomed to serve a specific purpose."

"And the file on triggers explains that we are expected to carry out these tasks unaware and completely under their control," Lee scowled, sitting on a crate. "I have a feeling they aren't too pleased with their top subject killing the kid in second place."

"Got themselves a real shiong-tsan sha sho," Gunner nodded with a smile. "Glad to have her on our side, we know what her trigger is?"

"No," I backed up, knocking over a pile of crates with a deafening crash in the small room.

"Easy, River," Lee stood, Taking my arm as we all stood still listening for guards. "We aren't going to be like them," Lee said with a tone of finality.

"River's with us, if we need her to fight she will," Nevva added. I looked from Lee to Nevva.

"No, I wont, I wont hurt anyone again."

"Then we'll all die," Tarrin glared at me. "Is that what you want? To die from their little experiments? Or be used as an assassin? Cause that's their plan for you little one, you might as well fight for the good guys."

I was holding back tears looking at all of them, Nevva stared apologetically back. They were right; it was becoming more obvious daily that we had few ways to escape from this place. I sighed, nodding and looking away.

"I'll do it. If it will get us out, I'll do whatever you want."

"Great," Lee's face brightened. "I've been trying to get word out to my family about this, but Khia told me this morning that they are doctoring our letters if they don't seem happy."

"Oh," Simon hadn't forgotten me. It was the first bright stop in this terror driven day. "I've been trying to tell my brother," I explained.

"Did Khia say anything else?" Gunner asked hopefully.

"No," Lee shook her head. "We only had a few minutes before classes."

"She's dead, isn't she?" Tarrin asked, poking glumly at the dirt floor.

"We have to assume so," Lee nodded.

"Wuh de ma," Nevva looked as shocked as I felt. "I thought they were putting her in confinement, running extra tests."

"I hate to say, but it's better for us if she's dead. Less chance of them figuring out who was working with her." The room was silent as we all thought this over.

"I'm going to write my brother."

"Good luck," Tarrin snorted.

"River, he won't get the letter," Lee spoke slowly.

"We used codes all the time when we were little, it will be easy to come up with one he'll see but they won't," I shrugged, actually starting to feel better about everything.

"Well I hope you're right," Gunner shook his head. "But I won't hold my breath."

"We should get back," Lee stood. "Keep working on ways out of here. Nevva and I will try to get more files to explain what exactly they are planning."

"And I'll write Simon," I nodded.

"Yeah," Lee gave a half nod. She was humoring me.

We all slide through the loose board, splitting up and heading for our separate dorms. Nevva and Lee whispered ahead of me. I focused on them, listening with all my senses. I was surprised to be able to hear them, a little scared because it meant I was indeed, making progress. Dr. Mathias would be so proud.

"You're sure she hasn't been compromised?" Lee asked.

"Yes. Well no," Nevva admitted. "But River's like a sister to me, we've been through everything here, and I am not leaving without her."

"She will be useful if she will fight."

"She will, she'll do what has to be done."

"And her brother? Is he as smart as she thinks?"

"I don't' know," Nevva whispered.

Simon is smarter than I think. He will rescue us, get father to understand what's going on. We slip into our bedroom, and slide into cold beds. I lay staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep, thinking over the day. Simon will be able to help. I slip back out of bed; the other two are fast asleep already. I pull out a notebook and pencil, mentally figuring the code as I write to Simon. In a few minutes the letter is done, I look back over it and smile. He'll know what's going on, I'll hear from him too. Still smiling I slip back under the covers, falling into the first peaceful sleep I've had here.


	6. Chapter 6

Simon's POV

"Mother, we haven't seen her in two years, isn't that a bit odd?"

"Government schools don't allow visitors," Father shrugged, turning away to follow mother. "Its standards keep the children in check and prepare them for careers in the field. We knew where we were sending her."

"Something is happening at that school! It's changing her." I followed father angrily.

"Don't be silly," father waved a hand turning back to me.

"Your sister is fine, Simon." Mother added.

"She's not fine. Didn't you look at the letters? Look at the letters." Father takes the letter looking over it.

"Uh, I'm looking at letters."

"These phrases," I shuffle through the rest of the letters. "They don't sound anything like her. Some of these words," I hand them the letters; "they're misspelled." I want to scream as they look blankly at me. "She started correcting my spelling when she was three. She's trying to tell us something. I think there's a code."

"A code?" Mother sounds surprised, while Father just laughs.

"Yes."

"I always thought it was River who was lost without her big brother. Now I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't the other way around," Father continues to chuckle handing the letters back to me. I pause for a minute deciding on another approach.

"Did you have a good time at the D'arbanville's ball this year?"

"What are you...?" Father looks at mother, and I hold up the letter.

"River thought it was duller than last year. But since we don't know anybody named D'arbanville, I'm having trouble judging. Did you even read these?" I ask angrily.

"Well, of course I did."

"It's one of her silly games. You two are always playing." Mom

"She is trying to tell us something that somebody doesn't want her to say." I speak slowly hoping to god to get through to them.

"Simon, this is paranoid. It's stress. If they heard you talking like this at the hospital, it could affect your entire future." Mother speaks calmly, like I'm a small child afraid of the man in the closet, I won't be calmed down.

"Who cares about my future?"

"You should." He's quietly angry, annoyed at this possible disruption.

"You're a surgeon in one of the best hospitals in Capital City. On your way to a major position, possibly even the Medical Elect. You're going to throw all of that away? Everything you've worked for your whole life?" Mother just looks scared and sad for me.

"Being a doctor means more to you than just a position, I know that." Father claps me on the shoulder, all man to man like.

"A few months time, you'll turn around and there she'll be. Now, nothing is going to keep you two apart for long." Mother pulls me into a hug.

"But," I sputter.

"It's a government school, Simon. What could possibly go wrong?" Father interrupts as I pull away from mother.

"Do you follow them that blindly?" I ask.

"Simon Tam," Father glares. "You may be a man now, but you will still speak to your father with respect."

"Parliament is run by power hungry bastards who likely don't know one end from the other and…"

"Na xie gou-le! No more, you will not speak that way in my house. Regan, we're going to be late." He spun and walked out the front door. Mother looked between the door and me, stepping up to give me a kiss on the cheek.

"Try not to anger him; he's been stressed from work lately. Your sister's fine Simon." She stepped out the door, disappearing to some social event or another.

I dropped to the couch; this was so like father lately. He expected so much from his children, but at the same time still believed he was the intelligent one. He had been so distracted with work that he was hardly home anymore, traveling around the verse, if he was in capitol city it was for one party or another. I had moved home to keep mother company while he was away.

I sifted back through the letters, trying to figure if there was a pattern. The first few letters seemed normal; she talked about her classes, and the usual teenage girl things. The last three were riddled with references to things I didn't understand, and people we didn't know. I stared and stared at the letters, and all of a sudden something became clear. I used one letter to cover all but the first letters of each line on another letter, and read the first word of every fifth line.

"Hello, effort, last, problem, H E L P." The second letter from the bottom up spelt help as well. I looked at the second letter. Every fifth letter on the way down spelt 'hurting', every second on the way up spelt 'us'. And the latest letter, blatantly on the left side, 'get me out'.

I dropped the letters, head spinning. She really was in trouble, I wasn't paranoid. I went to the book shelve, sorting through a pile of papers until I found the brochure for the school. I flipped through, kids about River's age, lounging on a grassy hill, listening intently in class, all the staples of boarding school brochures; I remembered my own looking similar. I read over the letter at the front.

"River Tam, we are proud to extend an invitation to join our program. The Academy is a government funded school for the brightest and best students in the Verse. Only a few students are admitted each semester, so please realize what an honor being chosen is for you and your family. Please review the offered programs and classes, and don't forget to let us know what size your uniforms should be!"

Turning down a fully funded government scholarship school was unheard of. Even though my father could have afforded to send her anywhere, he wanted her at The Academy. And River was excited by the programs; the school offered the most advanced coursework of any school, with a government school on her resume River would be admitted to any university she chose. And it was a new start, far from any of the people she was in school with in Capitol City. People who didn't understand her intelligence, ridiculed her for it. My mei mei just wanted to be with other people who enjoyed learning the way she did.

I logged into the cortex, then thought better of it. Logging off I grabbed my jacket, I walked briskly through the streets to the nearest public center. There I ordered tea and logged into the cortex. It was still risky, cameras everywhere, but less obvious than from home. I searched The Academy.

The first few pages of results were what I expected. The schools homepage, reviews of the school, articles about the great works they did there bringing together the Verse's brightest children. I clicked on a page called 'The AcaDAMNy', the first not run by the government. The screen was black; I started to go back, but noticed a quote in miniscule letters at the bottom of the page. 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil…' I tapped the quote and the page spun to white, I sat for a moment, then typed the rest of the quote, it scrolled across the screen as I finished it. 'Is that good men do nothing, Burke.'

The words faded and were replaced. 'For now we see through a glass, darkly.' I waited but nothing more was added. So I typed the source of the quote. 'Bible, Corinthians xiii.' Nothing happened for a few seconds then the screen shifted to black again, and red type quickly appeared.

"Ni she shui?"

"Who am I?" I typed. "Who are you?"

"You are an AcaDAMNy child?"

"No."

"Then you have no business here." The screen went black again; I panicked making a split second decision.

"My sister is!" I typed, hoping they weren't really gone. At first there was no response, then.

"You know where Turning and Brigg meet?"

"In the Shaiming district."

"Be there in twenty minutes."

"It's across the city, and in a blackout zone!"

"You want answers about your sister? Twenty minutes." The screen went blank and an error message appeared. I shoved out of the chair running for the street.

I tossed the cab driver more than enough credits to cover bringing me this close to a blackout zone and jumped from the cab, running through the twisted side streets until I stopped panting at the sign post marking Turning and Brigg. I checked my watch; it had taken me twenty-two minutes. I prayed I wasn't too late.

"An ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness." I spin to the voice, a dark hooded figure stands at the mouth of the alley to the left of me, I don't step forward, only tell him who originally spoke the quote.

"Elbert Hubbard."

"Let's hope you have the loyalty your cleverness conveys," A man slightly younger than me stepped slightly into the light, lowering his hood to reveal a long scar across the crown of his head. He motioned me too him, and I stepped forward warily.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Doesn't my knowledge make it apparent?" He asked, honestly looking surprised I hadn't figured it out. "I was a student of The Academy."

"Was?"

"I had the resources to reach out for help. The people who helped me were already suspicious of the school, much as you seem to be. Your sister, has she been there long?"

"Two years," I whispered.

"She's made contact recently?"

"This week. Her letters were getting stranger and I figured a code."

"Then it's not too late for her," the man nodded. "A code you say? You are as smart as she, and lucky to be too old to have been drafted yourself."

"My sister makes me look like an idiot," I assured him.

"Still, you would have been of some use."

"What are they doing there?"

"Playing god," he motioned to his scar. "You see the fun they had with me."

"Wahg-ba DAN duh biao-tze," I swore, he grinned at my language. "How can I help her?"

"You say she is intelligent, is she is indeed more brilliant then you, I assume she is in their elite program. We can help you get her out, but it will cost you."

"Duoshao qiun?"

"You are direct," he smiled again. "One million in cash, we don't take credits."

"You're joking."

"I'm afraid I'm not. Our group is small, and runs with little help. Our site on the cortex is expensive enough to maintain. We would need to buy things to help remove her, and to help others who contact us. I can tell by your dress you're not lacking in worth."

"But cash."

"They do brain experiments, I'm not sure how they are operating now, but I spent a month with the top of my skull removed as they poked around in there. I saw other's die at that school."

"I'll find your money," I spoke through grit teeth, angrier than ever that we had let her go to that school.

"And in exchange we will get her into cryo, and take you both to Persephone, from there you can go near anywhere in the Verse."

"How will I contact you?"

"We'll meet here in one week if you have the money we will proceed from there."

"One week," I nodded, mind spinning, trying to figure out if the bank would allow me my cash savings.

"Be safe," he nodded backing away into the shadows, "You'll do well to remember 'Deeds, not words shall speak me'."

"Oh, my deeds shall speak," I muttered, turning to hurry out of the blackout zone.


	7. Chapter 7

River's POV

Time's passing, trickling through my fingers like water, and still no word from Simon. I sent three letters; I've given up on more. I don't think I can focus to figure the code correctly to fly under their radar. The sessions are getting longer. The hole in my head no longer hurts, leaving a clear path to my cerebrum; the pathologies associated to having the rod shoved inside my head have been less than pleasant.

Sometimes I'm catatonic, I remain stable for hours after sessions, unable to progress to the next assigned station or interview. Other times my mood verges on manic, the noise in my head wont be still and the silence around me is crushing in comparison. The dreams are worse.

Every time I am under I dream, and the dreams are filled with the fears of myself as well as those around me, monsters in my head are terrifying, the monsters in my head are beautiful. And sometimes I may cry myself to sleep as I lay here forgotten; drifting on a thousand lucid memories of things I can't begin to comprehend.

I am in hell.

And Lee and Nevva whisper about, meeting with the boys in the boathouse, but they no longer invite my presence, I frighten them. Nevva still cares, still wishes me well, and hopes about all things to free me. However she fears my cause is lost, and my brain is fragmented, my soul in broken pieces thrown to the wind.

She's not wrong.

"River! River!" I hand slaps my face. Dr. Mathias smiles down. "There you are. We were beginning to worry; you were sleep for so long."

"I don't sleep anymore," I mumble, hugging myself as I step shakily from the chair. There's a strange twitch in my shoulder that I cannot stop. "The mission is still open."

"Excuse me?" Dr. Mathias asks, squinting at me.

"I'm undirected, no one has explained what I'm to do, and the burning grows warmer."

"I see," he half smiles. "Why don't you go back to the dorm for an hour or so before your interview?"

"It's all a fools business," I mutter, walking away from him. The man is beginning to be afraid of me, he is oh so proud of the work he's done, but scared of the resulting compendium of possibilities he now must decipher.

I'm my room with no recollection of the steps that made up the journey. My bed is too big. I swear it's been growing, I have no tool to discern for certain, but it seems to be growing at .0006 percent a day. Logically I know this conclusion must be fictitious, unless…unless the bed is a challenge, they challenge us, test our strengths.

I walk to the window and punch it. It shatters and my fist comes back bloody but I am able to pull a large piece of glass from the frame. I tear the covers off my bed and begin slicing away at it, tearing at the stuffing and dropping the glass when it begins to cut me. I tear strips of the mattress off until I feel hands grabbing me from behind, tugging me from the now ruined bed.

"What the hell are you doing?" The security guard asked, pulling me away from the bed.

"It's a test, a challenge, I need to do this, don't stop me," I twist and turn trying to pull from his grasp.

"You're insane," he shakes his head, turning his head to speak into the radio. "Back up floor two." He manages to hold me till the other guard arrives and together they drag me to the med center.

An elderly nurse seals up my hand, and tsking sends me on my way to the interview. The interviewer sits quietly as I pace the room. Rat in a cage, no where to go, that's how I feel now. They're watching, always watching in here. Can't get away from them here. Judging, twisting and turning my words like a knife in my gut.

"Why did your destroy your mattress?" He finally asked.

"It was a test, a hidden test, had to smoke it out, find the bad seed and show them that the world doesn't stop spinning just because they're no longer interested in this vestibule of faith. No…no, not faith, faith denotes something older, something made true through the belief of many, this is one mans quest."

"Okay…are all the mattresses hidden tests? Should I ask that they all be locked up so you don't systematically-"

"Yes I have a system. You make an assumption because you have a system, your system, you're symptomatic, it's chronic! You think it's benign, that it has to be cut out, this system is simple. Blanket folded thus the sheet pulled taut the mattress. The mattress can't be trusted, it has to be gutted. I looked under twenty and found a pea and you wonder why I'm not sleeping?" I caught my breath talking a good look at him. Scared. Worried, the emotions played across his face, but I couldn't see him. "Are you worried that I cut up my mattress for no reason or that I had a perfectly good reason that you can't see? Can't...see...anyone. Even the orderlies wear masks."

"Why did you cut up your mattress?" He looks slightly annoyed; he can't understand me even when I am clear. No, not clear, my words are a jumble I can't set straight anymore.

"I am trying to protect my spine." God, can't he see how at their mercy I am! None of them understand, no one can see the truth like I do. Not the teachers, not Nevva. Nevva, she's still afraid of me, if only she would let me help…

"Are you worried you might be injured? Your movement trainers have given you excellent marks-"

"No one will give me a mission." I can help if they just let me.

"A mission." He jots something down.

"I have a reason. I'm...rea-son-a-ble. I have a reason."

"I'm sure you do. But there are no missions here. You're delusional."

"Delusions, images not real, but real to the one who sees them," I mutter, pacing the room.

"Exactly, you are the one seeing them. Delusions." He gives me a mild smile.

"No, no there is a mission A reason, a common goal to unite us. The Pax, they had a mission."

"Enough of that, River!" He yells, it's the first time I've seen him show any emotion. "You are a useless little child here only as a possible weapon. You are nothing." His face is red, but he's calming down.

"My movement hasn't been dictated yet but I am not here for nothing. I...am a...sti...sty. And you know I have a spine. There's something wrong...with the body politic."

"Your body is fine, River."

"No, you want. You want me to work the way they want. I disappoint, but I know. No, not that I know, I don't know, but I do and the facts remain the same. I know the facts and you want them secure. It's the Pax. I shouldn't know." That's it. I was never meant to know about the Pax, peace. But not peace, death.

"I really need you to be quiet," it's a forced calm.

"Miranda," I whisper. "What?" I glance over my shoulder; a young man is backing away from me. "You?" I reach to my back, feeling a round object on my spine. Spine, they attack the spine. "Get it out!" I yell grabbing it and trying to pull it out, but its arms dig deeper into my skin. I scream.

"This is for your own good," the interviewer smiles sadly.

"No, please!" I whimper, seeing what's going to happen. He pushes a button on the controller, and my body starts to jerk, as electric pain shoots through me, I scream again.

"They're sticking in me! It's in the mattress, and it's crawling inside me! You cut it out, you cut it out, you cut it out!" The pain stops.

"And the Pax?" He asks.

"You," I glare, face on the table where I have fallen without realizing. "You killed them, you were there, helped kill them all. Dead, so many dead." I don't even scream when the pain begins again, only lie still until the world goes blessedly dark.


	8. Chapter 8

Simons POV

"Simon Tam?" A bored looking guard asks from outside the holding cell.

"Yes?" I ask, stepping forward.

"Daddy's here," he grins. "Time to go." He pulls me out among taunts from the other men in the cell. At the entrance leading to the station he hands me to others who lead me through to where I see my father standing. He doesn't waste anytime before starting to reprimand me.

"Have you completely lost your mind?"

"Pretty nearly," I answer like a brat, but I am sick of him.

"We got the wave at the Friedlich's. I had to leave your mother at the dinner table," he's showing more emotion about that then he has the past week as I tried to explain what was happening to River.

"I'm sorry, dad. You know I would never have tried to save River's life if I had known there was a dinner party at risk," I just didn't care what he thought of me anymore, his anger meant nothing.

"Don't you dare be flippant with me. I just spent two thousand credits to get you out of here, and I had to walk through that door which goes on my permanent profile." He looked at me, searching for any sign of remorse, there was none to find. "Are you trying to destroy this family?" I know enough not to point out that his lack of compassion for his daughter has already destroyed this family.

"I didn't realize it would be so easy." He looks almost hurt and for a minute I feel bad. "Dad, I-I didn't do anything."

"You were in a blackout zone!"  
"Talking! To someone who might be able to help River. And I'm going right back there," he'll never understand, he has too much faith in his precious alliance, he whispers in Chinese too quickly for me to catch his meaning.

"This is a slippery slope, young man. You have no idea how far down you can go, and you're not taking us with you," his voice is full of fear, and hatred.

"Meaning what?"

"I won't come for you again. You end up here, or get mixed-up in something worse; you're on your own. I will not come for you," he pauses, but I only stare blankly at him. "Now, are you coming home?" I look at him for a minute, then step forward, pulling him into a hug.

"Give that to mother for me," I tell him stepping away, and starting to back up. "Thank you for getting me out."

"What? Simon," he calls commandingly after me.

"Tell her I'm sorry that she's lost both her children now."

"Simon Tam," he yells but I turn from him, striding out the front door of the station.

The alley in Shaiming was dark, and seemingly deserted. I walked through quietly, looking for any sign of the man I had meet with earlier. I still didn't know his name. I was afraid either he had taken off with the money, or hadn't escaped the officers.

"Simon Tam," I almost smiled to hear his voice.

"What is your name?" I asked, turning to him.

"They call me Adam."

"Adam?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The first," he nodded.

"And your real name?"

"They took it away from me at the school. I no longer have any recollection of who I was before. We should hurry."

I follow him as he leads me down a twisting path through alleys I couldn't tell apart, all the while worrying about River. My loving little sister, would I find her as odd as Adam was. Had Adam been a fun child, eager to learn? How much had the school broken him?

"Here," Adam lifted a rusted gate enough for me to crouch under, then followed me. The gate shut loudly behind us, or maybe it just seemed loud in my terrified head. Adam led me through a dilapidated series of hallways until we stepped into a giant warehouse room. Three men stood as we entered guns drawn.

"You," one of them shouted. "Arms up!"

"Huh?" I glanced at Adam who kept walking to them; apparently I was the one being ordered.

"Ma shong!" He cocked his gun and I immediately threw my hands in the air."

"Check him," he ordered one of the other men who, quickly searched my pockets and patted me down.

"Nothing."

"Watch him." The man to the right if me cocked his gun and pressed it to my temple.

"I think there may be some misunderstanding, if you just."

"Shut up," the man shoved the barrel of the gun against my head. I swallowed, and shut up.

"Let's see the money," the man took the bag from Adam, dumping the bills on a bent dirty table. The scanned the bills, and smiled. "Let him go." The gun was pulled away from my head, and the man stepped back.

"Sorry about that," the one in charge apologized stepping forward. "Names Thomas, nice to meet you. You met my boy Adam already, and fellow you were up close to with the gun, that's Jacob. Quiet man over there is Shinji."

"Um…hi." I give them all a slight wave.

"You understand we need to be cautious, make sure you weren't playing us for a fool, you know."

"Yes, I understand."

"Right then. Seems you're on the level, and Adam here says you may be in a bit a trouble with the big law makers."

"I would wager that, yes," I nod.

"Well then, shouldn't take more than a week or so for us to get things together, we'll give you a place to sleep through then."

"Thank you," I nod.

"Hate to have to take your money like this, but you understand the greater purpose."

"Just get my sister back; I don't care about the money."

"Family man," he clasps my shoulder. "I like that. Adam!"

"Yes?" Adam steps beside him.

"Make up a second bed for our friend here. He'll be staying with us."

"Yes," Adam nodded. "Come with me." I follow him down another hall to a small storage room. I assume it used to be a storage room. There are two cots in it now, and Adam begins to put sheets on the second cot.

"Here let me," I take the sheets from him, and he backs up to sit on the other cot.

"She's very important to you."

"Yes," I answer, sitting on the half made bed.

"That's good." He nods to himself. "When I, when I first got out. It wasn't good for a while. The things they do to you. It's," he paused. "It's hard getting used to the real world again. Things seem, askew."

"I'll do my best for her."

"That's good," he nods again, laying back on the bed and shutting his eyes. With a sigh I follow suit.


	9. Chapter 9

River POV

"River," mother hisses at me, my eyes flutter open. "You have to go," she pulls me up by my arm, pulling it painfully. I sit up in the grass looking around wildly. Nothing looks familiar. Wait, there, in the distance I can see the school. I start for the school, but mother grabs me, spinning me around. "Are you crazy?" She slaps me across the face.

"Mother?" It didn't really hurt but I feel shocked, she never hit me. Then it dawns on me that this must be a dream.

"You have to leave. Simons waiting."

"Simon?" I ask, rethinking my dream theory.

"This way, come," mother turns and I hurry after her. We run out of any area of the school I recognize, till nothing but trees are flying past. I slide to a stop at the edge of a cliff, nothing but water crashing below.

"Where's Simon?" I ask out of breath.

"Down there," mother points to the water below and I lean over, she gives me a hard shove and I am freefalling, arms spinning wildly.

"Why?" I scream, it's taking forever to land.

"You're sick, this is the only way to be free," mothers still watching me from the cliff but she sounds like she's right next to be.

I wake up just as I hear the waves crashing. Nevva stares down at me, sitting up I realize I am back in the dorm, on my own bed. I feel the edges and note this mattress is average size.

"I have no recollection," I sputter, looking around.

"They brought you back around lights out," Nevva, sits on the edge of my bed, unconsciously I scoot away from her. "Are you okay?" She reaches for me, but I flinch back.

"No touching."

"What?" Nevva looks hurt.

"She understands, she doesn't comprehend. The ships." I look up at her.

"What?" She asks again, looking only confused.

"I know how to escape."

"River," she takes my hand, and I let her, though it feels like a million spiders are crawling through me. "Are you sure?" I nod.

"We have to go now." I stand from the bed, going silently to Lee's bed. I feel Nevva following. Lee starts and sits up when I tap her shoulder.

"Nevva, what's going on?" She asks, doesn't ask me, I'm clearly insane.

"Time to go," I turn, leaving the room. I hear whispers behind me, but they mean nothing, the other two will follow. Before I reach the stairs they are behind me. I lead them quickly though the dark hallways and turning gardens until I am outside the boy's wing of the dorm.

"River, they'll find us in there," Nevva tugs my arm. I pull away and motion for them to stay still. Slipping in the door I focus on Gunner and Tarrin, I move motionlessly through the dorm, disturbing no one until I stand by their beds. Both are wide eyed to see me there, but follow me out.

"That the hell is going on?" Gunner hisses at Lee.

"She says she knows a way out of this place," Lee shrugged. "We haven't made any progress."

"She's nuts," Tarrin whispered, "totally off it."

"She knows things," Nevva jumps to my defense. "Let's go."

They follow behind me as I lead them through the forest in my dream last night. We all stop at the cliff, staring down into the ocean that none of us realized was there. I looked off to the right, seeing what I noticed during my fall.

"What are we gonna jump?" Tarrin asked with a smirk.

"Great plan, mouse," Lee looked disgusted.

"There," I pointed.

"Nee ta ma duh tyen-shia suo-uo duh gai si," Tarrin breathed. We all turned to him.

"Sorry," he blushed. I lead them toward the ship.

"It's the one they brought us here on," Nevva smiled. "River," she squeezed my arm happily, I smiled slightly.

"Gunner, can you fly this?" Lee asked.

"Of course," she scoffed. "I can fly anything they want me to." I gave him a real smile then, and opened the door to the ship. As soon as I did I knew there was trouble, this was wrong. Dr. Mathias stepped from the ship, a wide grin on his face.

"Well done, River."

"No, no," I muttered, stepping back. He spoke into a radio.

"First mission, complete."

"No, there was no mission, I am not for you to direct," I cried.

"The subconscious is an easy tool." He smirked.

"River!" Nevva shouted. I turned to see them each held by a guard. But no guards I had seen before. These guards wore nice suits, and blue gloves.

"Das Fallen schneller abwärts," Lee screams, and nothing happens, Dr. Mathias shakes his head.

"You think we didn't realize you had found the triggers? Ever trigger has been changed. Guards, take them."

"No," I started to run for the guards, but Dr. Mathias grabbed me. I twisted and kicked, slamming back my head into his jaw. He cried out and let me go. I spun and kicked him in the stomach. A pair of blue hands grabbed me from behind, I threw up an elbow catching the guy in the throat, but he didn't let go. I slammed my head back, but received only a headache, his vice grip never lessened. Finally I sagged in his arms, not able to find the killer inside me without their damn trigger.

"Take her to solitary," Dr. Mathias spat blood, he grabbed my chin. "You are nothing but a weapon, don't forget that." I glared at him.

"You sin runs dark with the blood on your hands," I spat at him.

"Your friends blood is on your hands," he smiles, I feel myself pale. "Take her away." I begin to struggle again, being irritating if nothing else. Finally a blue hand clamps over my face, a wet cloth pressed against my mouth and nose. I try to hold my breath but finally have to breathe in deeply, and for the second time that day, my world fades away.


	10. Chapter 10

Rivers POV

A week in solitary confinement, only blue gloved guards in and out, and me in and out of consciousness. None of them will talk to me; tell me where Nevva and the others are. I cry a lot, and I know they are doing tests while I am unconscious, my brains being scrambled, wires crossing in the street. And the dreams, they get more vivid, more strange.

The one that stands out is a black man in my room, a proper man, I've never met before, and he sits on my bed. I don't know him, he knows me, sees inside my head, understands me like they don't, even with all the fancy tests.

"A very lost little girl," he smiles, like a father. "You carry big secrets don't you?" I shake my head.

"No secrets, only whispers."

"Ah yes," he smiles. "Parliament is very proud of the work here at Pyxis you realize?"

"Yes sir."

"You are key to the work."

"Great works. We are doing great works." I nod.

"Most of you are, there is one though," he paces my room, and the dream fades in my memory.

I loose track of time, morning, nights it's no difference. It's always darkest before the dawn. Finally Dr. Mathias steps into the eight by eight cell I have spent the week in.

"Hello, River."

"No one's here," I shake my head, knocking it against the stone wall.

"Hey, none of that," his hand cups my head, and I pull away.

"No touching the animals," I scramble away from him.

"I need to take you to the interview room," Dr Mathias stands holding out a hand. Like I was really going to take it, I stare at him.

"You need to wash your hands," I glare at him. "Where are Nevva and the others?"

"Guards." Two of the new guards step into the room. I stand before they reach me, and walk past Dr. Mathias. He starts to follow me out the door, but I turn quickly so he almost runs into me.

"Shh," I tilt my head, listening, then turn back to him, grinning. "Do you hear it?"

"River, you need to go." My smile fades; I trace my fingers across his chest over his heart.

"They're coming you know. Counting down to the end of days, three, two, one, he'll know you." Dr Mathias gives me a confused look, and pushes me along, I go willingly, I've seen his future.

"River Tam. It's been a while." The interviewer, he shakes my hand, and everything is clear, everything flows through me in a way nothing ever had. They had cameras in all the rooms. We should of known, even here they were watching us, they had cameras in the boathouse. They had known our plans all along.

I could see Nevva and the others being dragged away from me, Tarrin fought, bit the guard so hard he let go, shot Tarrin in the back. The other fought then, Nevva was hurt bad, maybe would have been killed, but the interviewer, he stopped them, knocked the others out.

They dragged them into a room I had never been in, hooked Nevva to tubes, try to keep her alive. Gunner attacked the interviewer after the guards left, wrestled a gun from him. Gunner had given up; I could feel his fear, his hatred for living at the school. He shot himself.

They were alive, the whole week I was in solitude they were alive. They broke Lee first, tapped into her brain and mixed it up. Nothing but soup in there now, she sat terrified in her own head, screaming when the doctors tried to get near her. No longer of use to the project, they put a bullet in her.

Nevva was their next test, how far can you push her? The interviewer wanted to know, parliament wanted to know. Trap her in a cage? No water? How long can she last? She died after five days of reduced air, extreme temperature changes, and no food or water.

I jerk my hand back, dropping into the chair, feeling too weak to move. There is silence as my brain tries to wrap around the facts. Its hard, but I realize how out of control everything is, my life is theirs now. But I won't go down quiet, I remember who the black man wanted dead now, who was standing in the way of great works, who had killed my friends. The interviewer.

"You're very quiet today. How did your session with Dr. Mathias go?" He asks finally.

"He gave me a mission," I smile softly to myself. A mission, they'll know that a person is not a weapon; a person is too unstable to ever be a weapon.

"Really? Did he...tell you your mission out loud, or did you just hear it?" He looks interested, thinks I'm playing their game again.

"He plays hide-and-seek with me," I frown, unsure of myself for a moment, I just felt Simon, but that's impossible.

"Dr. Mathias?" Simon hasn't forgotten me, he's looking, trying to save me, doesn't know it's too late.

"My brother. Is a doctor. He thinks he can find me, but...I am deep down...and I do not make...a sound." A lost little girl.

"River, what mission did Dr. Mathias give you?" He's getting annoyed, I snap back to the present, to what needs to be done.

"I can't tell you."

"You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Can't. Tell. I'll have to write it down." It has to be done, I reach for his pen. He pauses only a moment before handing it to me. I take it slowly, then stand moving as if to take his pad of paper. I switch my movements quickly jamming the pen through his rib, puncturing a lung. He wheezes looking wide eyed at me, and everything he did to the others comes flashing back to me, filling me with a silent rage. I yank the pen back out, it makes a wet plopping kind of sound.

I slam it back in, puncturing his heart, warm blood is starting to coat my hands, and again, the other lung, he's making gurgling sorts of noises, looking at me with disbelief, I lean in close to his face, I want him to know that I did this, this was my choice, he deserved to die for what he's done, and he, the project, parliament, they gave me the power to kill him.

"Your blood is on my hands," I cup his chin in my hand, giving him a little shake and leaving a bloody hand print. I tug his shirt, pulling him off the chair. They'll be coming soon, I can hear them. I jump to the camera, face and hand pressed against it's hidden source.

"I can see you." Now they know I know, for a brief moment I wonder how much longer I'll live. Blue handed guards again, two by two, they carry me away. One stays behind calling Dr. Mathias.

"We're bringing her to you. Hen ji!"

: A music video that ties in this story, firefly, and serenity, and Rivers troubles over the deaths of her friends is on youtube: except they wont let me put in the link so email me at dontuuwish at yahoo i figure you can figure out the real email format since they wont let me have an email address in here either


	11. Chapter 11

Simons POV

The week was excruciatingly slow. They didn't allow me to leave with them for supplies, and I spent the bulk of my time becoming well acquainted with the ceiling above my bed. Every evening they came back with new supplies, cryo chambers, medicine, weapons, and finally on the last night, a government issue ship.

"But where?" I sputtered, looking over the ship; it looked as pristine as any I had ever seen.

"You like that?" Thomas laughed at my expression. "They just drop those off in the wreak yards. Course we had to fix her up a bit. Shiny though ain't she?"

"Yes, very," I nodded. "You are all very good."

"We leave tomorrow for your sister. Ready for big crime?"

"Not at all," I manage a smile.

"No one ever is," Thomas nods. "You're doing the right thing; they're the shady ones if that makes you feel better."

"They'll kill us the same if we're caught," I point out.

"Always has to be a practical one in the group," Thomas grins. "Way my plan goes, we don't get caught."

"Good plan," I nod.

It sounded like a good plan, simple, easy in and out. Of course I knew that was never going to be the fact, but I had allowed myself to believe it in order to not go insane in the waiting. As the school came into view and we flew low over the planet, my stomach tied in knots of fear. I straighten the suit they have given me. It is that of a government inspector. Mine is to be the key role in River's rescue, I will stride straight into that school, and ask to be taken to her. My fingers itch where they have fused the fingerprints of a true inspector to my fingers. I don't ask how they got the prints.

"You've memorized the maps?" Adam asks from the seat next to me.

"Yes," I nod. "The layout should not be a problem."

"Now you understand the weapon, correct?" Thomas leaned around from the front.

"Yes, sir."

"After you get your sister, strip to the facilities uniform. Everything goes smooth you can walk her to the getaway point easy as pie. We'll be monitoring you, show up quick as you're ready."

"Thank you," I nod, as we lower to the front landing strip. Two guards approach the craft guns raised. Thomas lifts his hands with a grin, and shoves open the door.

"Official inspection," he hands them forged paperwork they barely glance at.

"Mr. Odin?" Adam steps out of the craft, holding the door of me. I nod briskly at him and push past to the guards.

"Good afternoon officers," I nod at them both as they stand at attention. "I am here to see Dr. Mathias on direct orders from parliament.

"Dr. Mathias, is in sessions," one of them ventures.

"Exactly what I am here for," I push past them, headed into the building. They scramble behind me, opening doors as we go. In the entrance area my finger prints are scanned, and I am lead to Dr. Mathias office. It's a round, sterile office, looking more like a lab than a place to relax or study. After a short wait Dr. Mathias steps into the room.

"Mr. Odin?" He puts out a hand which I shake. "I was not informed you were coming."

"It's about getting a clean inspection," I nod. "We have to make sure we are seeing the truth."

"Yes, indeed." He smiles. "You are here for the sessions?"

"One in particular," I make a show of pulling out a piece of paper, and reading from it. "River Tam."

"Well, you have fantastic timing, she is in session right now," he motions for me to follow down a path of turns until we step into the room. I almost cry out as a man shoves what looks like a needle deeper into River's head.

"Nightmare?" Dr. Mathias asks.

"Off the charts," the assistant grins. "Scary monsters."

"Let's amp it up. Delcium, eight-drop." The assistant does as he says, I study River, this is like nothing I have ever seen before.

"See, most of our best work is done when they're asleep. We can monitor and direct their subconscious, implant suggestions," I step forward as River moans, crying out quietly and squirming. The doctor luckily misreads my concern. "It's a little startling to see, but the results are spectacular. Especially in this case. River Tam is our star pupil."

"I've heard that," I am still watching River grimly.

"She'll be ideal for defense deployment, even with the side-effects."

"Tell me about them," I perk up, knowing this information could be useful alter.

"Well, obviously, she's unstable, the neural stripping does tend to fragment their own reality matrix. It manifests as borderline schizophrenia."

"What use do we have for a psychic is she's insane?" I ask, stepping closer to River.

"She's not just a psychic, given the right trigger this girl is a living weapon. She has her lucid periods, we're hoping to improve upon the… I'm sorry sir, but I have to ask. Is there a reason for this inspection?"

"Am I making you nervous?" I ask, turning to him.

"Key members of parliament have personally observed this subject; I was told that the alliance's support for the project was unanimous. The demonstration of her powers-"

"How is she physically?" I interrupt.

"Like nothing we've seen. All our subjects are conditioned for combat, but River, she's a creature of extraordinary grace," As he speaks I move even closer to River, till I am in the perfect position.

"Yes, she always did love to dance." The doctor gives me a look of confusion, but before he can speak I drop to one knee letting loose the weapon they gave me, it sends electromagnetic pulses at head level, temporarily stunning whoever it comes in contact with. I squat in front of River.

"River, its Simon," I undo the device from around her face. "Please, it's Simon, it's your brother." She doesn't seem to wake up, I leave her for a moment, now that the pulse has dissipated, and stripping to the school uniform, check the door to see if anyone's checking on us. Seeing no one I turn, almost walking into River, who is awake, but still looking lost.

"Simon?" She looks at me, but seems to look through me. "They know you've come."

"We have to go," I take her hand, and she follows as complacently as a small child, letting me lead her. "We can't make it to the surface from the inside," I explain. A door opens and I panic. "Find a place to-" she's already climbing up the wall, I try not to stare in awe as the people pass.

"River," I hiss, and she drops gracefully beside me.

"Gravity's a mind game," she tilts her head. "Thomas is waiting." For a moment I am terrified of my own sister, and what she has become. Her eyes meet mine and I see so much pain in them, I can't help but pull her into a hug.

"We have to go," I pull back, tugging her along behind me, following the path I memorized to the ventilation tube. The back of the building it built into a cliff, if we can get up the tube, we can load into the ship with no one the wiser.

I use a crow bar to open up the barrier to the tube, helping River out, then sealing the opening behind us, just as two guards arrive. They slam into the glass, cracking it with each blow, below security shields are powering up. Just in time a platform is lowered from the ship above, we step on and the others haul us up, just as I hear the glass smash out below. A couple shots hit the platform but we're safe for now.

"Hold on," Thomas yells out, revving the engine to hyper-speed, we hit atmo before anyone can follow. "Woo!" Thomas yells from the front.

"Are you okay, River?" She nods, but I am not sure she understood the question.

"How was that for exciting crime, Mr. Odin?"

"Odin?" River looks up quickly at me, and I worry for a moment that she doesn't know it's me. She places a hand on my cheek. "Norse god. Meaning fury, or poetry, the god of wisdom, death and prophecy."

"I nod."

"Simon," she smiles a little. "My brother."

"Yes," I smile back, holding her close.

"We need to put her under," Adam holds a needle.

"No," River scrambles away, holding tighter to me.

"River, it's okay. We're not safe yet. We need to do this." I hold her tightly and she stops squirming long enough for Adam to inject her. Within moments she is sleeping peacefully.

"She needs to be naked to go into the chamber," Adam blushes.

"I'll do it," I nod. He scurries to the front, leaving me alone, I undress her quickly, blushing to see the woman she has turned into while away. I arrange her carefully, as modestly as possible, and shut the chamber, setting the dials appropriately.

"Wo ai ni." I whisper quietly, almost able to hear her quiet voice whispering that she loves me too. It's going to be hard, but we'll make it through.

"She set?" Thomas asks, as I step into the front.

"Yes, thank you." I nod.

"Thank you, you're the one who set us up to save more than her," he grins. "Next stop Persephone."

EndGame

Thanks for reading everyone, and all the supportive feedback, I hope you enjoyed this short take on River's time at school.


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